


Track-Team Coach Rogers

by morphia



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Hot Coach Steve, Kid Fic, M/M, Misunderstandings, tony is a father
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-03
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:35:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9182083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morphia/pseuds/morphia
Summary: When Tony, single dad of sporty teen Liberty, decides he wants to start dating again, he finds it is not as simple to outsmart a teenager as he'd hoped.Things get even more complicated when the guy he's after turns out to be none other than her track team coach, and her first crush.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Agent C (arh581958)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/arh581958/gifts).



 

~~~~~  
  


Years after Liberty came into his life, Tony still regretted nothing. She was the most delightful addition to his existence that he hadn't known he'd needed. In hindsight, he knew he'd been nothing more than a kid himself when he'd taken her in. At 22, leading his own company and making world-market decisions, she'd come into his life in a most unexpected way, and soon became his treasure. 

It was a lifetime ago, and sometimes he found himself wondering at how quickly time passed. She’d grown up to be a truly remarkable person, and he couldn't avoid a touch of pride at her quick grasp of pretty much anything she set her mind to. It'd always worried him, that he might be spoiling her too much, but she grew up to be self reliant and strong. 

Having said that, Tony really could do with a bit of a break. Libby was on the track team, had been doing that since seventh grade, and even though she practiced every day, she still spent a lot of time at home. Tenth grade loomed around the corner, and even though she never showed it, Tony knew she was anxious about the move to a new school. He tried to be helpful, but at her age, she didn't want to spend too much time with him. 

So he stayed at home, working from his workshop there. That way, if she ever wanted to talk or needed him for any reason, he'd be in easy reach. It had its perks, but sometimes it got a little unbearable, and he just had to get away. 

"You'll call me if anything goes wrong," he was saying as he stood in the kitchen, putting his shirt in order while she ate. It wasn’t a question, it was a command. She seemed bored. 

"What could possibly go wrong?" she asked on a sigh before shoveling some egg into her mouth. Tony paused his motions to give her a stare.

"Do you really want me to start listing it off? I do  _ actually _ want to leave the house at some point." He huffed and resumed trying to make himself appear less like a single dad and more like a respectable middle aged man. It only worked half of the time. Liberty groaned.

"Where are you going, anyway?" she asked, spiteful. It wouldn't be right to tell her that her father has been single for literal  _ years _ and was growing tired of it. Instead he shrugged. 

"Late night meetings. Pepper's been giving me a hard time about some stuff I've missed over the past couple of weeks." It wasn't strictly a lie. He had been shirking responsibility a little to spend some time with his daughter over the summer holiday. But there were no meetings, and Pepper was actually pretty understanding of his situation. "I won't be far, so call me for anything, okay?" he asked, tentative as he leaned close to kiss her forehead. "Even if it isn't an emergency." 

Giving in, she sighed again and closed her eyes. "Okay, Dad… Don't stay out too late." 

Beaming, he patted her hair briefly and then pointed to the dinner plate. "Don't forget to put that in the sink when you're done with it." As he turned to head for the foyer, he heard her mumbling resentfully. Yes, they had help-staff, but there was no reason to leave things lying around in the kitchen. 

So he went out to a discreet singles pub, because it had been over ten years, and he couldn't be bothered with dating sites. He wasn't looking for anything specific, but he was ready to go along with whatever took his fancy. He'd given up trying Tinder when, soon after installing it, he got a text from Liberty saying something along the lines of  _ you're too old for tinder, dad. Also, ew. _

He'd been proud of her backdoor coding capabilities, which she'd used to figure out his net-use, but that left him with little flexibility when it came to technology. He could outsmart her, but she'd only find ways to curb his advances, and his focus would shift from trying to find a relationship to needing to keep ahead of the game. It just wouldn't fly. 

There had been other complications. Tony considered them with a smile as he drove himself to the address he'd been given. A guy of his fame and profession couldn't really afford to be seen in public fumbling for a relationship. He was probably the most well known single dad on this side of the globe, and for his daughter's sake, he couldn't be as reckless as he used to be. 

Fortunately, there were good people he associated with. Good people with enough discretion, and enough to lose. Mr. Coulson was an agent of some kind, who worked for the privately owned security organization, SHIELD. He'd been the main contact between SHIELD and Stark Industries for a pretty long time, and Tony, if not trusted him, at least knew enough of his workings to figure out it hadn't been a trap when he'd handed Tony a card. 

"Fourteen years is a long time to be single," Coulson had said, not unkindly. "It's very discreet," he'd looked at the card for emphasis. "They won't make it public, and if needed, what happens there stays there." 

Tony had read the name on the card, noted the address, then glanced at Coulson with a raised eyebrow. Coulson shrugged. "Take it or leave it," he'd said, then turned to his business, ignoring it when Tony pocketed the card.

In truth, Tony wasn't looking for a quick roll in the hay. He needed more than a reminder of what another naked human body felt like against his own. Still, he kept his expectations low, knowing he wasn't likely to find anything, and parked the car. 

The place looked abandoned, save for the sliver of light at the bottom of the main door. Not very promising, but he'd told himself he'd try, so he knocked. Immediately, a slab shifted and a pair of eyes peered at him. Recognition sparked for a second, and the door clicked open. 

"Good evening, Mr. Stark," said the hostess, showing him into the establishment before closing the door. She ushered him towards the bar and sitting area and let him choose where he wanted to sit. The place had the obligatory low lighting, unobtrusive music, a small dance-floor where a few couples were dancing, and some curtained passageways. He took in all the details he could as the bartender called his attention and asked for his order. 

Tony held onto his drink - non-alcoholic - and surveyed the room again. Most people were engaged in quiet conversation, a few were making out in the darker areas. The bartender handed him a slip of paper and Tony turned his attention to it.

It was an outline for the conduct expected of patrons. Apparently, making out in the public areas was permissible, but if you wanted to get down to the dirty stuff, please get behind the curtains - ah, so that's what they were for. Any kind of harassment would result in immediate removal and ban from the establishment indefinitely. Huh. He handed the page back to the bartender and nodded his head before sipping his drink. 

As Tony wondered absently how many of the patrons came here just to find some action, someone slid into the chair beside him and ordered a drink. He turned his attention to the guy incrementally, and then took a minute to appreciate what his eyes fell on. 

Stranger was tall, blond and muscled. Handsome face, chiseled chin, full lips, long lashes. And a hundred percent aware of Tony's gawking. The guy's eyes were set stubbornly somewhere else, and he didn't address Tony at all. A brief once-over was really all Tony needed to decide that he wanted to say hi.

"So who did you lose to?" Tony asked. The guy immediately turned towards him, giving him a cool, icy blue look, which only second later Tony deciphered to be mistrust. There was no recognition on that pretty face.

"Pardon?" 

"Who did you lose to, what bet got you to sit here next to me?" 

"What-" the guy was going to lie, and his gaze flicked aside. Tony turned to look in that direction and saw a small table in the far corner with three people sitting around it, their eyes set on the two of them and smirks adorning their faces. Tony turned back the guy beside him and raised an eyebrow. No answer was forthcoming. 

"Your friends, okay." Deciding on a course of action, Tony put on a smile, encouraging. He was a little rusty, but flirting he could do. He offered his hand for a shake. "I'm Tony." 

"Steve," the guy responded, shaking his hand awkwardly. Tony got the impression this guy wasn't so familiar with this kind of interaction, which lent a certain touch of uncertainty to his actions. 

"Pleased to meet you," he said, giving his smile that edge that usually worked in his favor, but Steve pulled his hand away. "First time at a singles bar?" 

The guy ducked his head with an embarrassed smile. "That obvious, huh?" 

"There were some giveaways," Tony agreed with a nod of his head. "See something you like?" he asked, because time was of the essence, and Tony suspected if he didn't show interest, the guy would fold. 

"I thought that was generally how it went…?" Steve half asked, sneaking a glance at him. "I was gonna offer to buy you a drink but..." he trailed off when Tony raised his drink with a smile. 

"I'll be honest with you, Steve," Tony said, because he was starting to worry about impending interruptions, and he wanted to make some kind of a memorable impression. This guy looked promising, to say the least, and he really wanted to get some of the more difficult things off his chest. Some things about Tony's life were, he felt, better off dealt with as soon as possible. "I'm a single dad. I haven't dated in years, so if I seem a little rusty at this, it's because I am. And if any of that bothers you, you might be better off finding someone else." 

Steve seemed to be reeling with the information-dump. He considered Tony for a long moment, then nodded his head. "I appreciate the heads-up," he said, then smiled when Tony just stared at him. "I mean, you seem nice? And I don't get intimidated by children."  

"Okay," Tony said then, fighting the urge to gulp. He'd been sure Steve would hightail it the minute he'd mentioned having a child. "Then uh… Tell me about yourself?" Talk about rusty...

Steve didn't answer right away. His gaze slid off Tony for a moment, and then turned back to him. Tony realized the guy's friends must be distracting him somehow. "I'm-" Steve said, when Tony's phone started ringing. 

Swearing under his breath, Tony reached for his phone and gave Steve an apologetic look. A glance at his phone showed that it was indeed Liberty. "Tell me the house isn't on fire." 

"The house isn't on fire. I just thought you'd want to know that Pepper said you didn't actually have meetings tonight." Liberty's voice was flat and Tony realized his mistake immediately. One must never lie to his daughter. The truth will come out, and so on. 

"Right…" he said slowly, glancing at Steve, who seemed curious, if a little strained. "I'll be home in a few. Don't be mad." He hung up before she could question him, and turned to Steve. "I really have to go right now. Do you…" he fumbled for a way to offer they exchange details without seeming desperate or hurried, but Steve saw right through him, and reached for Tony's phone. 

"I'll give you my number. Call me sometime, we'll set a date some place… not here," Steve said with another glance towards his friends as Tony handed over the device. 

Tony nodded absently, never looking at Steve's friends. He should've expected Liberty to check back with Pepper. Maybe if he had told Pepper to lie…? She wouldn't have gone along with it anyway. He sighed and took back his device. "It's been…"

"Short?" Steve tried, giving a small, exasperated smile.

"Nice, I was going to say, but… Yeah, sorry about that." Pocketing his phone, he turned from Steve, feeling like an idiot for even coming here, but a strong hand closed around his wrist to stop him, very briefly, before letting go again. It was enough to catch his attention, however, and he gave Steve a questioning look.

"Don't be mad at your kid…" he said, his blue eyes earnest. "And use that number sometime, okay?" 

Tony started saying something, when his phone started ringing again, and Steve laughed. He made a shooing motion and sent Tony on his way. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Steve walking back to his friends, but he didn't linger to see the expression on either of their faces.

~

Liberty gave him the silent treatment for two days after that. She spent a night over at a close friend's house, and only on the third day did she graciously communicate with him. They had an argument, which ended with her telling him lying was a shitty thing to do, and him telling her that if she hadn't been nosing into his business, he wouldn't have to lie. It… It didn't go well.

"And if you had just told her that I was in a meeting this would all-"

"No. No, Tony. You can't drag me into this." Pepper sounded very tired on the other end of the line, and Tony spared a second to wonder if she wasn't overworked, before getting back to his own predicament. "You want to go out and date, that's great. You can't hide that from your kid." 

"Have you  _ met _ her?" His tone clearly said he was not expecting an answer. "Anyway, thanks for nothing Pep, send me my meetings for tomorrow so I can ignore them while I try to appease a teenager." He hung up before she could retaliate. This was no lie, anyway. He had to keep an eye out for his daughter now that she was upset with him.

He glanced at his phone, and brought up the contact list. Scrolling through, he reached Steve's number and stared at it like it was personally attacking him. Steve hadn't been the one to make him go to the singles bar, and he certainly wasn't the one who chose to go without telling Tony's daughter about it, but still. Tony felt he was somehow responsible.

A minute later, he sighed, locked his phone and went to find Liberty. School was about to start the next day and he wanted to make sure they were okay now. She had said she forgave him for it, even though he hadn't told her what he'd been doing that night. She'd pressed pretty hard, but Tony had plenty of experience withholding information.

He knocked on her door, and a minute later, it opened. Liberty was apparently getting ready for practice. She wore her sports gear and her bag was set, open, on her bed. She looked at him, expecting him to state his business probably. 

"Hi," he started, a little lame. "I'm just… Are you going to practice today?" 

"Yeah," she said easily. "I'm gonna sign up to the new school's track team tomorrow. Wanna be in top shape." It didn't seem like she was interested in having any form of conversation at the moment, so Tony nodded his head. 

"I can drive you to the track, if you want." He wanted to say he wasn't busy, but that would be lying, and he was trying to keep to honesty for the time being. Liberty wouldn't appreciate him lying at this point, he was sure. She looked at him for a long moment before shrugging.

"It's gonna be a few hours, you don't have to stick around," she said, turning from him to regard her bag and add a few small things. 

Eventually, he drove her to the track and worked on some schematics on his laptop while she did some laps. It was good to breathe the outdoors air, and it made him feel a little more at ease when she climbed into the car and they headed home. 

"So," he said, casual. 

"So," she said, eyes set on her phone. He didn't look over. While she sometimes pried into his online activities, he did what he could to respect her privacy. It wouldn't be long before she learned that sometimes it's best to avoid snooping. 

"Excited about tomorrow?" 

"Thrilled," came the short answer. Tony reminded himself that all teenagers were just as communicative at this age and didn't take it to heart.

"Do you have everything you need?" he asked, even though he knew that she did. He'd made sure of that and had even taken her to the shop to buy new school supplies. She shrugged beside him with a noncommittal sound. Sighing, Tony decided to drop the conversation altogether. 

~

As per her plan, Liberty signed up to the track team, so three times a week she came home in the late afternoon. Tony was sure something in her had changed. It was such a small change, imperceptible even, that he couldn't put his finger on it, and that bothered him. He didn't like being in the dark when it came to his daughter's life and wellbeing. 

Meanwhile, Tony kept finding himself at various times scrolling to Steve's contact, half convinced that calling him would be a terrible idea and half dying to give him a chance. In his lowest moments, Tony convinced himself that Steve wouldn't even remember their encounter, and their short chat.

"Dad!" Libby said suddenly, making Tony jump in his seat and scramble to shut down his phone. "Whatcha looking at?" she asked, peering at his phone's darkened screen. Tony leaned back and leveled her with a look over the kitchen counter.

"Nothi-" he started saying, when something finally clicked and he frowned. "Libby is that- are you wearing makeup?" he half exclaimed, leaving his phone on the counter and approaching her. She had a smug grin plastered on her face.

"Like it?" she asked, turning her head here and there to show off. Tony was speechless for a second. He's never seen Liberty wearing makeup before. 

"Do I like it," he repeated her question numbly, still staring. Hesitation crept into her features. It was, admittedly, not the best makeup job he’d ever seen. It was crude and excessive, and it hid her naturally aesthetic face completely. "Who made your face, baby-girl?" he asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder. She shrugged his hand off.

"Brit did it for me," she said, subdued. Tony had to think fast if he wanted to salvage the situation. 

"Okay…" he said slowly. "And why would you need to wear makeup? Didn't you have track practice today?" he trailed off when Liberty froze. She lifted her gaze shyly at him, and it all fell into place. His little baby had a crush on someone!

"Dad-" she started saying, alarmed at the gleeful shift in his expression, no doubt.

"So who is it?" he asked, smiling at her.

"Who's who? Dad, please…"

"Your crush, darling. Who's your lucky crush?" he asked, making her sputter for a minute, flustered. She clenched her teeth the next moment, giving him an irritated glare. 

"Can't I just start wearing makeup because I want to, and not because of some guy…"

"Ah-ha. So it's a guy. Okay," Tony said, wrapping his arm around his daughter in a hug. "Tell me all about him." She stood her ground for a minute, before finally relenting with a groan.

"Fine," she said, sitting at the kitchen island. "Promise to not get all funny about it, though."

"Only if you promise to never again let Brit do this to your face," was his automatic response. "You wanna wear makeup, that's fine. You learn how to use it and apply it yourself, okay?" he smiled encouragingly at her. He didn't mind if she wore makeup, but there were  _ standards. _

"Okay," she agreed after a long minute. "Then I'll just…" she made to get up, but Tony stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"You forget something?"

"Ugh… You're so nosy…" she whined.

"Yes, pot?" 

"It's Coach Rogers, okay? Jeez…"

Tony froze, stunned. "Coach Rogers…" he repeated, staring at his daughter, "As in Track-team Coach Rogers."

"See, you promised you wouldn't get funny-"

"How old is he?" Tony demanded, if only to express how deeply bad an idea it was.

"He doesn't even know abou-"

"How old, Libby?" Tony asked, finally regaining his bearings. His daughter wouldn't understand why an age gap this severe was a bad idea, but he wanted to convey his own opinion on the matter, so that she would at least understand it wasn't acceptable. Their standoff took only a moment, and she looked away first with a shrug.

"I don't know… kinda older." 

"Kind of older," Tony nodded his head. "He would be at least over the age of twenty, maybe even more. He could probably be my age!" He'd never met the guy, but that sounded reasonable anyway. A low ache in his chest reminded him to take a breath and try and relax. This whole child-rearing business was wearing down on his health. 

"You're such a jerk, dad… I don't need you to tell me what to do, and Brit was really nice about helping me look nice for practice, but he didn't even look in my direction at all, so you can fucking relax-"

"Libby."

"What, I'm not even allowed to swear anymore?"

Tony wrapped his arms around his daughter, holding her against his chest. He didn't know what else to do. He knew, rationally, that the school Libby went to was top notch, and that none of the teachers would ever dare touch a student, but his concerned parent-brain had taken over before he could hold it back. Liberty really did not need his scolding - she was a clever girl, and she probably knew there was no chance her crush would reciprocate. What she needed was understanding, and he had to give her that, even if he didn't approve of her choices.

"...Dad?" she asked after a long moment, hesitant. Tony rested his chin on her shoulder. 

"I'm sorry baby-girl. You're right. I got a little funny about it…" Tilting his head to bop it against hers, he added - "let it slide this one time? I do want to hear about your Prince Charming…"

She crossed her arms, probably contemplating, and eventually nodded her head. "Okay."

He pulled back and ushered his daughter to the media room, where Liberty chose a movie to play in the background as she told him about Coach Rogers. Apparently, her tastes ran along Tony's own. Her coach was blond and tall, had stunning blue eyes and a perfectly built body. He was also incredibly kind, and very positive about everything. She said he helped inspire her to work harder, even though she thought she could never beat her own record.

In truth, Coach Rogers sounded like a great guy. Tony was breathing easier by the time she finished explaining about him, because he was reassured that this kind of guy would never get involved with a student. So instead of extending words of caution, Tony just hugged his daughter again and told her he understood why she liked him so much.

With the air cleared between them, and after Tony finally got her to promise she would go to one of the makeup-courses Pepper would find for her, they parted ways for the evening until dinner. Liberty had homework to do still, and wanted some time alone.

Some time after she left, Tony went back to the kitchen to retrieve his phone. There were no missed calls or messages, which was rather surprising. He unlocked the screen and stared at the name still waiting for him. Why was he such a chicken about this? He wanted someone to share… to share all these small things with. Someone he could talk to about the conversation he'd had with his daughter today. Someone who would, ideally, get to know his daughter. Someone his daughter would come to trust. It couldn't be easy on her to have only one parent...

He touched the call icon, not giving himself the chance to back out of it. Maybe Steve wouldn't be the one. Maybe it'd be someone else. There was no way he could move on, though, if he kept just thinking about it. 

"Hello?" answered a low tone, quizzical. Tony recognized the voice even though he'd only heard Steve once before.

"Hi, is this Steve?" he asked, feeling breathless and silly. A pause followed.

"Who am I talking to?" the voice was suspicious, but not unpleasant.

"Tony, it's… I'm Tony, from the uh… the other day…" 

"Tony," Steve said, emphasizing the syllables. "From two weeks ago…?" cautious hope filtered through these few words. Tony took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

"Yeah I.. I'm sorry it took so long, it's just…"

"Did you work things out with your kid?"

"My kid." Tony said flatly. How did Steve know…?

"You said you were a father…? Your kid called you when we were, uh…"

"Flirting," Tony completed for him, relaxing now that he realized what Steve referred to. "We were busy flirting when… yeah…" he looked around to make sure Liberty was not in the area. "Listen I… I was hoping we could maybe…"

"Meet?" Steve said, cutting him off.

"Yeah," Tony answered immediately. He'd been worried that Steve might not be interested, but it seemed that wasn't the case at all. "Yeah, I do want to… Where… When are you free?

"Evenings are good," Steve said, equally quickly. "Any evening works for me, so long as we don't run too late." 

"School nights, right?" he said, and come to think of it, he hadn't asked Steve where he worked…

"Exactly," was the easy answer, a smile clear in the tone of voice. "So it's really up to your availability." 

"Okay," Tony said and reached for his tablet to look at his schedule. It took no time to figure out a time and a place to meet, and Tony felt a nagging concern, but dared not ask. "So I'll see you then," he said instead. 

"Yes, I'll be there," Steve said, letting a pause settle between them before adding - "Thank you, Tony, for calling. I was starting to think you weren't going to."

Tony didn't know what to say to that. He'd been half sure he wasn't going to call Steve at all, too. "You're… welcome?" he tried, making Steve chuckle. 

"I'll see you, then."

"See ya," Tony answered, and hung up the phone. 

~

Finding Steve was relatively easy in the quiet cafe. He sat in one of the more secluded corners, his eyes set on his phone. When Tony approached his table, though, his attention shifted, and a smile spread on his lips when he saw him. It looked like he was ready to get out of his chair, but Tony, wary of any awkward moments, slid into the chair across from him before he got the chance to. 

"Hi," Tony said then, noting the brief confusion leave Steve's features. 

"Hi," Steve answered, pointing at the menu. "I didn't know what to get you so…" 

Tony noted that Steve didn't even have a cup of coffee in front of him, and reached for the menu. "You didn't order anything?"

"Figured I'd wait." 

Tony didn't know what to make of it, and Steve's expression gave nothing away. He was relieved of his need to speak for another minute, when the waiter came by and took their order. 

"So… Did you wait long?" Tony asked, trying to keep the conversation going. Steve leaned back and watched him, seeming at ease. Maybe he's familiar with this cafe? Tony wasn't sure. He didn't like being unsure.

"Not really. I got here a few minutes before you." 

"Oh," nodding his head, Tony leaned back, mirroring Steve's pose. He felt like he was being tested, which, admittedly, he probably was. He didn't like being tested at all. He became fidgety under close scrutiny, and pretty soon Steve's smile widened into a grin. 

"So what's it like being a single dad?" Steve asked, putting him out of his misery. 

"It's alright. Kid's perfect, y'know. All fathers would say that but in my case it's the truth. She's just started high-school so there's a lot of interesting new things to deal with…" 

"I bet. It's a difficult age, but you can probably say that about any age," Steve answered, and Tony nodded his head as the waiter came by to put their order in front of them. 

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. It's hard at first, but you get used to each stage and so it's new hardships every time. She's an angel, though." 

Steve's smile was affectionate, a little intimate. Tony didn't know what to make of that expression, so he just rolled with it. "Tell me, though," he said then, curiosity getting the best of him. "Are you sure you're okay with… uh… you know…"

"With you having a kid?" Steve offered, and Tony nodded his head. A considering look passed his pretty features, before he turned to speak. "Well… I do like children… Always wanted to have some of my own but…" he shook his head, brows bunching in a mild frown. "You kind of get used to the fact that it's not going to happen when you're gay." He looked away from the table, eyes scanning the cafe with a distant look. Tony had to gulp at the intensity of the man before him.

Tony rarely got to discuss his sexual orientation with anyone, and he considered himself lucky because no one pried into that once he had Liberty. It was much more interesting for people to talk about his outrageous lifestyle and how that was the reason he had Libby (it wasn't). In a way, Tony never had the chance to socialize much with everyday people, and people with any sexual orientation considered 'abnormal' even less so. And he didn't feel like he'd missed anything by it, but now, sitting across from Steve, he felt an outsider in something he knew concerned him. 

"So this might be just me getting ahead of myself, but does that mean you'd eventually want to meet my family?" Tony asked, carefully drawing Steve's attention back to their conversation. Steve's smile was a little sad, and he reached for a napkin from the dispenser at the end of the table before looking back at him.

"I don't know you, yet, but… Essentially, yes." 

Which Tony thought was pretty logical. "Well, this is part of what we're doing here, isn't it? Getting to know each other?" 

Chuckling, Steve nodded his head. "It is, yes. I'm not… used to this kind of…" Tony waited for him to find the phrasing he was looking for. Steve took a deep breath and then released it slowly. "Dating men is a little different than what we're doing right now. It's… It's part of why I don't do it." Tony could hear  _ anymore _ echo in that statement but still kept quiet.

"So… that's good, right? I mean I feel like this is going… well?" he tried, and Steve stopped playing with the napkin in favor of grabbing his coffee. He sipped from the mug and then reached over to grab Tony's hand, currently settled on the table. 

"It's going well," he said, looking right into Tony's startled face. "It's going great. If it continues like this tonight, I may want to see you again… I may want to see more of you." His eyes flicked down meaningfully, and Tony's throat went dry. "Tonight." 

The warmth of Steve's hand left him, and Steve sat back down, his face only a little pink. Tony thought 'oh', and then considered everything Steve had just said, and he thought maybe he was luckier than he'd imagined. He thought maybe this could go in some interesting directions and, if Steve was serious, maybe  _ this _ could be serious. And he thought 'I want that', even though he had no idea how he'd reached that conclusion after so little time with him. He just felt the truth of it. 

"I'm game," he said eventually, noting Steve's shoulders relaxing a little. "But I want you to understand that it's not… I'm not playing around here. Sex or no-" Steve's face went a shade darker "-I want us to see each other more. I want something serious. If you think getting physical tonight could jeopardize that…" he let the rest of the sentence go unsaid. It was clear Steve understood him anyhow, because his expression shifted again, sobering but not displeased.

"I wouldn't have said anything in the first place if I thought it could." He reached again for Tony's hand, and Tony, who wanted to feel that warmth again, reached back. He'd spent so long with only his daughter that his need for a different kind of physical affection was pronounced, and he clasped Steve's hand tightly. 

The rest of their conversation was milder, much less intense. In a way, Tony was happy they got the heavy stuff out of the way first. It allowed them to spend their time much more at ease with each other. 

Tony learned that Steve was a teacher and a track-team instructor, a little younger than Tony was. He joked that his daughter would have a lot to talk to Steve about. He told him of his own line of work and his efforts with clean energy. They ate and finished their coffees and spent a long time after just lounging at their table, exchanging information about one another. 

Eventually, as if a cue passed between them, Tony tilted his head and Steve nodded back eagerly. "Let's get out of here," Tony said, and didn't care about how clichéd it might sound. 

~

They decided to go to Steve's apartment. Tony was not interested in being caught by his daughter - especially since she didn't know he was dating. She was spending the night at Brit's place, and Tony figured she didn't need to know about it until he was sure something would come out of it. 

Steve directed him up the stairs and they stopped in front of a nice door. Tony stared at the nameplate on the door, which read 'Rogers'. In an instant,  everything fell into place in Tony's mind, and a horrible realization dawned on him as Steve led him inside: Of all the men he could've hit it off with, of all the track-team coaches he could've talked to, it was his own daughter's crush that he ended up seeing. Liberty was going to kill him.

Steve reached for him, concern on his face as they stood in the hall. He grasped his arm gently. "Tony?"

"You're Coach Rogers." 

"What?" Steve asked, confusion on his face.

"You're the track team coach at my kid's high school. You're Steve… Rogers?" Tony pointed his thumb back towards the door and Steve looked from him to the door and back with a bewildered expression on his face.

"Uh… I guess I am?" he said, still not seeming to grasp the issue. Tony just kept staring at him until Steve started shifting uneasily in place. "Is that going to be a problem?" 

The magnitude of how silly the situation was hit Tony squarely and he started chuckling. "My daughter has… my daughter…" he tried saying, but found giggles bubbling up his throat more insistently. A nearly manic laughter fell from his lips, unstoppable. He held onto Steve's arm, his entire form bowed forward as he laughed. 

"Your daughter… what?" Steve tried, and Tony shook his head, laughter intensifying until his sides hurt. And how could he even explain that to Liberty? That he was dating her first crush? That he'd been pretty much going to sleep with him unaware?

Steve waited for him to calm down. It took longer than Tony would've liked, but he was able to regain some composure at last, and Steve went to get him a glass of water. 

"Oh man…" Tony said, slumping onto the sofa in the living room as he wiped the corners of his eyes. "Libby's gonna kill me. She has the biggest crush on you." 

Steve sipped from his own glass of water and raised an eyebrow at Tony. "I know she has a crush on me," Steve said slowly, simple and straight to the point. "She's not subtle about it."

"Yeah… She's still working on that. She was pretty embarrassed about it when I found out…" Tony figured she was probably as obvious about it with Steve as she was in Tony's presence. Steve watched him as if waiting to hear that story. Tony didn't want to go into too much detail here so he went for an evasive answer. "Yeah, she told me a few days ago after I cornered her." 

Steve nodded his head and drank some more before speaking again. "Now that I think about it, it makes sense. Not so many Starks in these areas." He seemed to consider this for a moment, and he gave Tony a hesitant look. "Is that… weird?" 

"Oh, totally," Tony said immediately, laughing when Steve's expression fell. "Relax, I won't let it get in the way if you don't… but, uh… is it okay with you? How many high-schooler crushes have you had to deal with?" he asked, trying to lighten up the mood. Steve shrugged.

"Not many. Each year there's a couple." He put aside their glasses and scratched at his brow. "I try to be as professionally distant as possible, to not give them any ideas or get their hopes up, but I don't know what makes them stop eventually."

Tony watched him for a moment, thinking that the answer was pretty clear, and wondering if Steve really was this unaware of how attractive he was. It's not like this kind of body came out of thin air, Tony knew that much. Steve at least worked out enough to have this build, so he had to know he's hot, right? 

"I'm gonna guess they just get the message," Tony said, reaching for Steve's hand carefully. "To be fair, I had no idea you were Libby's coach until we got here…"

"I know. That kind of reaction is impossible to fake," Steve said, sending him a small smile and holding onto his hand. "I'm sorry for complicating things so early on…"

"Don't be silly… it's not really complicated. We'll just have to-"

"Tell her as soon as possible?" Steve asked.

"I was thinking more 'hide it from her until she graduates'," Tony countered, tightening his hold on Steve's hand when he tried to pull it back and meeting his scandalized stare with a petulant look of his own. "She's possessive, and she gets jealous. It's better if she doesn't know."

"She'll find out in no time. You can't hide it from her… I've seen her work her network of friends on school grounds…" Steve said, then shook his head. "And even if that weren't the case, she's your  _ daughter _ . You can't hide this kind of thing from her. It'll really hurt her feelings when she finds out." 

Tony sighed with a grumble. "We're not even on our second date and you're already giving me parenting tips. Keep it up and you're in for some trouble." He gave a short squeeze to Steve's hand before rolling his head from side to side a little, to relieve the tension accumulating in his neck. He tried not to read too much into the fond smile he saw on Steve's face then.

"You were going to do more than that with me today," Steve reminded him, lacing their fingers together and pausing, as if testing the contact. Tony had to admit he felt pretty good about that, at least. Liberty's complication aside.

"Are you saying it's off the table now?" he asked, trying to keep his tone neutral. Steve looked at him for a long moment before lowering his gaze to their linked hands. 

"It doesn't have to be, if you're still interested…" he said, his voice low as his watched their hands, fiddled with Tony's fingers idly. Tony followed Steve's gaze and smiled at the gentle touch. Of course he was interested.

"Kiss me and find out," he answered, because being difficult was an artform and an obligation above all. Steve huffed a short laugh and shook his head before letting his eyes settle on Tony's face - on his lips, and then meeting his gaze. A brief moment passed when neither of them moved, and then Steve leaned in, taking the invitation for what it was.

Tony had probably expected something extraordinary. He was the farthest from believing in fairy tales and love at first sight, but however cynical he tried to convince himself he was, deep down inside he just wanted some of that stuff to be true. He'd hoped to experience something magical in Steve's kiss, but it was completely outside of anything Tony could've expected.

The kiss was gentle, careful even, sliding across Tony's lips like a soft caress, dry and smooth. Steve's eyes were closed, and from this short distance it was difficult to focus on his face, so Tony let his own eyes fall closed as well. He put a little more pressure into the touch, trying to enhance it, but Steve paced him with a hand on his shoulder. 

For a brief moment, Tony wanted to protest, to take over and push for more, but a slow breath tickled his face and he felt Steve's hand relaxing against him. Well, if Steve wanted to control the pace, that could work too. 

The wait paid off almost immediately, as Steve parted his lips and slid his tongue over Tony's lips carefully. Tony had to fight the urge to suck the appendage into his mouth, before deciding that, hey, why not? And doing just that. Steve made a low sound and pressed his tongue farther into Tony’s mouth in response. Excellent. 

Bringing his arms to wrap around Steve's shoulders, Tony pressed closer against him, deepening the kiss and sliding his tongue against Steve's playfully. He was already getting involved, heady, even though it was just a kiss. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had anyone's mouth against his own, anyone's tongue probing for more…

"Let's take this to the bedroom?" Steve asked, breaking the kiss only enough to speak against Tony's lips, into his mouth. He felt warm already, like Steve was already staking claim for something more meaningful than he'd expected with just a word. He wanted to drown in that warmth, take everything Steve was offering and hold onto it for dear life. How did he get so attached, so quickly… so deeply…

"Yeah…" he whispered back, nibbling onto Steve's lower lip for a moment and not caring that his response was anything but witty. Steve smiled against his mouth and then drew back. He looked ravishing like this. With only a little bit of kissing, his lips were already quite red, his cheeks pink, and his eyes glittering. 

How they got from the sofa to the bedroom, Tony wasn't quite sure. He'd been too busy kissing Steve whenever the opportunity presented itself, sliding his hands under Steve's shirt and reveling in his smooth, lovely skin. Next thing he knew, they were there, with the door closed, and Steve was shirtless, which, in Tony's opinion, should've been his default status. 

"You should always go around like that," he blurted before his filters could catch up with him, and Steve grinned cheekily back at him.

"Not sure it'd work out in winter… but I can be as shirtless as you want in here." He reached for Tony in invitation, and Tony quickly shucked his own shirt before taking the invitation. And, weird as it was to get so intimate so soon, it felt right. The way their skin touched… 

In short order, they helped each other out of the rest of their clothes, teasing each other in careful exploration. Neither of them was lacking in experience, but there was always something special about being naked together for the first time, and as Tony pushed down his underwear, his eyes set on Steve, he felt the delicious shiver rocking him to his center. 

Steve touched him all over, then, mapping out every small place that earned a reaction, and though he tried to return the favor, Tony was just so caught up in the feeling. He had not had the chance to enjoy this kind of feeling in years, and as though aware of Tony's lack of recent experience, Steve was going slow. He kissed Tony again, stepping in to bring their bodies together again, and they both broke the kiss briefly to inhale a breath when they rubbed against one another. The heady atmosphere intensified, and Tony was starting to lose patience. 

"Steve…" He murmured, breaking the kiss and making Steve glance at him quizzically. "I need more than this…" he said, not letting himself consider the desperate edge to his tone. A beat of silence passed before Steve hummed and then moved to usher Tony to the nice, large bed. 

"Do you mind if I… Uh…" Steve asked as Tony sprawled on top of the bed cover. It was soft and comfortable, and Tony wanted to say so, but Steve's hesitation stopped him. He looked to Steve, reaching one hand down to slide his fingers along his hard-on absently. Steve watched his hand in rapt attention, distracted for now from what he'd wanted to say. 

"If you… What?" He asked, drawing Steve's attention briefly back to himself. Steve looked into his face, licked his lips and bowed his head before moving to cover Tony's body with his own. He kissed Tony shortly, then ducked his head lower to nibble at his neck.

"...top, tonight?" he asked, his breath tickling Tony's ear, and Tony could snort and laugh at how careful Steve was in presenting the question, but he was too busy panting for breath and wanting more. 

"Do I mind…" he retorted instead, his tone incredulous, wrapping his legs around Steve's thighs. "No. No I don't mind. I most definitely do not mind if you top tonight, Steve, or any night for that matter…" he pressed up, rubbing against Steve's abdomen. He was already on fire, and Steve was taking his sweet time…

"We can talk about other nights later," Steve said, nipping at Tony's lip before grinding down against him with purpose. Tony wasn't even going to bother pursuing that line of conversation for now because all he really wanted was to get on with the proceedings. 

"Fine," he answered, reaching down to cup Steve's ass in his hands and then massaging the flesh with purpose. "Now can you please just…"

"Tony…" Steve said on a short huff of laughter as he pulled back, depriving him of his warmth and his solid weight. Tony stared after him, impatient. "Hasn't it been years for you?" He asked when Tony just waited. Tony watched him shift off the bed and rummaging in the bedside drawer case. 

"Years, yes," Tony confirmed, licking his lips when Steve drew out a condom and a bottle of lube. He settled himself on the bed a little more comfortably, spreading his legs in invitation, but when Steve deposited the items next to Tony's arm, he didn't seem to even notice. He lay down beside him and ran gentle fingers down Tony's chest. "But I know how it works."

"That much I gathered," Steve said with a nod of his head as his hand wrapped around Tony's cock, giving it a slow pull. "We can go fast, if you really want that, but… If you don't mind, I'd rather take it slow." Steve's fingers slid down over Tony's balls and along the swell of his perineum. Tony's brain shorted out for a moment as his head fell back onto the pillow with a low sound. He'd never been touched quite like that, so reverently, and Steve's smirk showed he knew it. 

"Slow…" Tony panted when he could gather the breath for it. "Okay, just… Don't drive me crazy, okay?" he asked, giving Steve a look he hoped conveyed his level of need. Steve nodded his head once and then resumed stroking his cock. 

"Can't promise that, but I'll make it worth your time." 

And true to his word, Steve did take Tony through an experience much unlike anything he'd ever had before. He'd prided himself in having led a pretty scandalous life in college, before Libby came along, but Steve showed him how little he'd scratched the surface of the kind of pleasure two people could share. 

It was as if Steve knew exactly where and how to touch, like he knew Tony's body perfectly. He used his hands and his mouth, and by the time he pulled off Tony's cock, lips wet and breathing shallow, Tony felt boneless and strung tight with need. Even Steve's fingers inside him were not enough to quell the urgency. 

"Steve…" he groaned at a particularly pleasant rub inside him. "Please…"

"Okay, Tony," Steve finally said, drawing his fingers out of Tony's body and shifting around a little. Tony managed to hold back a protesting whimper at the loss. He felt empty now, but the promise of more was enough to keep his focus. Steve settled Tony's legs over his broad shoulders and reached down to his condom-clad dick to help the slow slide in. 

Thanks to Steve's exceedingly slow pace, there was no discomfort, just a hunger for more, and Tony felt deliciously full when Steve settled inside him to the hilt. A rumbling sigh fell from Steve above him then, like a sort of relief. Tony then realized that he hadn't been the only one holding out until now, and his eyes settled on Steve's face more intently. 

The beautiful features were creased in concentration, blue eyes concealed behind closed lids, lips hanging open to accommodate the low, quick breathing. Steve was every inch into their act as Tony was.

When Steve finally opened his eyes to look at Tony, a moan fell between them, and Tony wasn't even sure which of them had let it out. It mattered little, since all he really cared about right now was friction, and movement, and he was getting neither. He wiggled his ass a little, feeling the stiffness of Steve's cock, shoved all the way in, and a heated sound left him - he was certain it was his own voice now. "So hard…" he praised. 

"For you…" Steve answered, started to move in smooth motions, not slow at all as he fucked into Tony's body deeply with each return. At this point, Tony was already so keyed up he suspected he wouldn't last long, but even so, it was already the longest intimate encounter he'd ever had with someone. 

Reaching down, Tony palmed himself in counter-pace to Steve's thrusts, feeling the beginning of orgasm approaching, his breathing ratcheting up still. "Gonna come…" he whispered into the air between them.

"Go ahead," Steve answered in an equally quiet tone, and Tony was gone with that simple permission. His entire body went taut, even as Steve continued to move in him at the same steady pace, and pleasure crested and washed over him the next moment in pulsing bliss. He rode out the aftershocks for a long moment, not even caring about the mess spreading between them, and Steve kissed him languidly, his pace never faltering.

It didn't take Steve long to follow Tony's bliss, and he pressed tightly against Tony's body as he came hard, twitching inside him in such a way that Tony thought he might come again just from overstimulation. At the very least, his approving moan accompanied Steve's own pleasured one. Spasms were the only kind of motion between them for a long moment, and it was only when complete stillness settled on them that Steve finally drew out of Tony's body and turned to settle beside him on the bed.

Tony, staring at Steve's ceiling, took his time catching his breath and processing what had just transpired between them. When he finally spoke, only one thing came to mind that he could really say at this time. "You're good."

The tense silence broke with Steve's chuckle at that statement. He busied himself with the used condom and then with cleanup, eyes settling on Tony's face briefly. "Glad you approve of my methods," he said, scooting close to carefully set an arm across Tony's chest before pulling them tight together. "You were pretty good, yourself."

"Ha. All I did was lie down here and take it. Next time, I'll show you what I can do," Tony retorted, even though he seriously doubted he could outdo Steve's performance. He could probably match it, though. That would have to do. Meanwhile, he basked in the warmth Steve willingly shared with him, and told himself he wasn't falling far too fast. 

"I'll hold you to that," Steve said simply, and kissed his forehead. "Can you stay the night?" he asked, and Tony closed his eyes. He really wished he could. He would've preferred to stay here and cuddle with Steve until morning came and forced them apart, but he knew Liberty would come home sometime the next day and he wanted to be there. 

"I can stay a while," he said instead, tilting his head to nose at Steve's neck. "But I'll have to get back some time tonight…" 

"Okay," Steve answered, doing a good job hiding his disappointment, even as he rested his cheek on Tony's hair.

~

They managed to stay undiscovered for a while. Steve constantly expressed his disapproval of this plan, but Tony was convinced it would amount to no good to tell Liberty about them. They met often, usually had a small meal together, and rarely got to fool around. Tony was sure that would be the part that'd weird out his daughter the most. 

Of course, the minute they were both present in the same place at the same time with his daughter, there was no way to keep it from her. 

It was her quarterly race, first one of the year, and Tony had promised to be there. He sat back and watched as she took the race easily, and then rushed down the stairs to meet her and congratulate her for the win. She hugged him, enthused and exhilarated by the adrenaline and the achievement. And then Steve approached them.

"Good job, Liberty," he said, focusing on her for a moment, and Tony noticed her flushed face became a little redder. She let go of him and hugged Steve spontaneously, awkwardly, and Steve - though he was surprised by the move - hugged her back lightly. 

"Thanks, Coach Rogers. It's all thanks to you! I did what you told me, with saving up some of the energy for last, and…" She was just letting go of him, and her eyes shifted back to Tony, who was at that moment busy staring at them. Liberty's words died on her lips and she narrowed her eyes at him. "Dad."

"What is it, Champ?" Tony asked, turning his full attention to her. 

She studied his face, and he knew he must've looked guilty because her suspicious look sparked to life. "Nothing," she said in a tone that meant it was anything but nothing. "I guess you never met Coach Rogers before, huh?" she changed the subject swiftly and leaned over to bump her shoulder against Tony's. 

"I-" he started saying, realizing belatedly that he couldn't bring himself to lie to her about Steve, not after having been dating him for this long. Steve took over when he stalled.

"We have met, actually," he told Liberty, giving her a small apologetic smile. "Maybe we can talk about that later?" he offered, clearly conscious of their very public location. Tony wanted to kiss him right then and there, just for taking over the situation, but restrained himself. 

"Sure," she said, her tone snippy. Whatever conclusion that little teenager mind of hers was getting to was probably bad, and Tony needed to avert the crisis somehow. 

"Victory dinner?" he offered, and she hesitated, eyes sliding towards Steve. 

"Dinner," she said flatly. "With Coach?"

"Yeah! Right, St- Coach?" Tony mentally kicked himself. Liberty tilted her head back, suspicion deepening on her face.

"I don't mind, if Liberty is okay with it," Steve said, looking from Tony to his daughter, and Tony had to remind himself Steve had more experience dealing with these ages than he did. 

Liberty watched her coach carefully, then shook her head. "I don't mind, but I know you're hiding something, dad," she turned to look at him disapprovingly. "You promised…" And Tony wanted to apologize, to explain right away, but they couldn't do that during the event. Liberty was soon distracted by the proceedings, and was called off to receive her price. Steve threw him an unimpressed look. 

"Remember when I told you it was a bad idea to hide this from her?" Steve said under his breath as they both watched Liberty take the first place stand. 

"You're never going to let me live that down, huh?"

"Not in the foreseeable future, no." 

And so it was that they set for Coach Rogers to come over for dinner later that evening, and drove off back to the house to get things ready for it. Liberty kept quiet for half a ride before she finally couldn't hold back her accusations. 

"You couldn't let it be, could you?" she said, and Tony glanced at her. 

"What do you mean, baby-girl?"

"You had to go and talk to my coach because I had a crush on him, didn't you? Were you worried he'd do something? Because let me tell you, he was pretty clearly not interested in me, and I'm pretty sure he's gay." Tony bit his lip and waited out her anger. "So thank you for the vote of confidence, but I'm fine."

"That's good to know," Tony said, not looking at her. "But I never sought him out specifically. I trusted your coach to be a decent human being after everything you told me about him. I knew you were safe." He checked his mirrors and took a turn, letting her process that. 

"So how do you know him?" she asked, even though Tony had a feeling she already guessed it.

"Remember… A few months ago, I told you I had meetings at HQ but I didn't really?" he asked, accepting the fact that he was going to tell her everything now. 

"And then wouldn't tell me what you did that night, of course I remember. You know, forgive, but never forget. You taught me that." 

"Yeah, well… I went to… I went to a singles bar." 

Liberty's head whipped around to stare at him, scandalized. "You hooked up with my coach???" 

Tony snorted out a laugh and shook his head briefly. "God, no. I would've, don't get me wrong, but… I wasn't looking for that. And for what it's worth, Libby, I had no idea he was your coach when I met him, and I didn't even know you had a crush on him at the time!" 

"I can't believe you hooked up with my coach…" she said, palming her face in both hands and completely not listening. "Even though you knew I had a thing for him. Of all the men in this damn city… Dad why..." 

"Liberty… Breathe…" Tony said, concerned. He'd just pulled into their garage and switched off the car, and Liberty hopped off and hastily retreated into the house. He heard her room's door slam shut as he entered the house, and gave a long suffering sigh. Parenting a teenager was hard enough without all these complications…

When knocking on her door only earned him a 'go away', Tony figured he'd have to let her cool down first. She was still reeling from her victory and the revelation that her dad knew her coach, it was a lot to take in. So instead, Tony focused on having their chef make something for dinner for three, and then asked the staff to plan accordingly. Steve called him shortly after that.

"If you called to gloat some more, now's not the time," Tony said tiredly into the phone, and a short pause greeted him. 

"What's going on?" 

"I told Liberty about the singles bar. She decided we hooked up." 

"How did you… How did you tell her about it that she came to that conclusion?" 

"She wouldn't even let me finish the story so…" Tony palmed his face and sat down heavily on one of the kitchen chairs. "What am I going to do?" he asked miserably. And he was used to this moment in conversation, when he asked for advice but his friends often didn't know what to tell him and would either give him general advice or outright tell him to solve it on his own. 

"Where is she now?" Steve asked, surprising him. He'd been ready to accept polite withdrawal again. 

"Uh… Her room, last I checked." 

"Alone? Tony… Go to her, she needs you. Don't let her be alone now with her misunderstanding…" 

"Well she usually simmers down after a while…"

"Of course she does… Everyone does after a while, but don't you think she'd want to see that you care?" Steve sounded so earnest that Tony's chest constricted. 

"Are you coming over for dinner?" Tony asked then, hoping for a yes, but Steve didn't answer right away. 

"If Liberty is okay with it, I will. Let me know what she says." A quiet moment passed between them. "Call me," Steve said and then hung up. 

Turning to look at his phone at last, Tony sighed. Steve was certainly right, but he didn't know how stubborn Liberty could be when she put her mind to it. Still, Tony knew Steve wouldn't budge either, so he had to work on a compromise. 

Sliding out of the kitchen chair, he climbed up to Liberty's room and rapped his fingers on her door. "Baby-girl…"

There was a rustling sound inside the room, but no answer came for a long moment. Tony pressed his forehead to the door. 

"You know, I can't make it better if you don't talk to me…" 

"You can't make it better no matter what, dad. I can't believe you're sleeping with my coach…" She sounded mostly bitter about it, but he waited another minute, straightened up, and the door opened. "It's not fair." she said, her arms crossed and a petulant look on her face.

"He would still be gay even if I weren't... You know…" Tony really did not want to go into what he was or was not doing with Steve. "Seeing him." 

"Ugh, this is the worst. How did I end up falling for the gay one?" She turned from him and slumped onto her bed, facedown. Tony took that as invitation and stepped into her room. He took her PC chair and sat down in it. 

"It's almost as easy as falling for the straight ones, kid," he said on a low sigh. "But he really wouldn't have been good for you. He IS into older men, after all." 

"Daaaaaad nooooooo," she groaned into her pillow. "That is not something I want to know about… Eewwwwww." 

Tony grinned, waiting out her tantrum until she settled down and turned her face towards him on the pillow. "Just. Promise you won't be gross with him around the house." 

"Can't tell a lie, baby-girl. But I promise it won't be weird when it happens." He reached over a hand. "Peace?" 

She looked at his hand distrustfully for all of a minute before reaching over and grasping it. "Peace."

"So can I invite him over for dinner for real now?" Tony asked, quirking a hopeful smile at his daughter. She shrugged.

"You need my permission?" 

"Well, Steve said he wouldn't show up if you were uncomfortable with it so… Yeah. Need you to be okay with it. It's fine if you aren't, by the way. Just say the word." 

She rolled her eyes at him but her smile gave away how pleased she was to be asked her opinion. "I guess it's okay…" she said, a sense of self importance weighing her tone.

"Thank you, your graciousness." He kept his tone respectful even as he continued to smile at her. "Will you be okay?" he asked then, seriously, but she would have none of that. 

"I'm fine. Just jealous." He quirked an eyebrow and she amended, "a little."

"I'll take it," he said, reaching over to ruffle her hair a little and laughing when she squirmed away. "But only if you promise to tell me if anything's wrong." 

"Fine dad…" she retorted impatiently. "Just go call him already, I can see you can't wait and I need to take a shower after this race, I'm gross. Can't believe I hugged coach like this, ugh…"

"I'm sure he didn't mind," Tony said, getting to his feet. "But I am going to call him now, so if you want to be presentable for dinner, should probably get started." 

"Rude," she retorted and got to her feet, shooing him out of the room as he laughed again.

And so Steve joined them for dinner, and though it was awkward at first, Tony thought it ended up a success. Liberty used her new makeup knowledge and looked lovely, and Steve was pleasantly interested in how she felt after winning her first race of the year. 

After dinner, they all went to the media room and watched a movie of Liberty's choice, though she kept sneaking glances at Steve, like she couldn't believe he was there. Tony had to second that sentiment. He would not have guessed that she'd take it in stride quite as well as she did. Still, there they were, watching The Princess Bride and reciting lines. 

After Steve left, Liberty stood beside Tony and gave a grave nod of the head. "Okay. You can bring him over again. He's good enough for you."

"Appreciate it, shortie." Tony said fondly and wrapped an arm around his daughter. "But he has to be good enough for both of us to pass the test. What do you say?" 

She chewed her lip for a moment, then leaned her head against his side. "Yeah… I'll need more data to give an accurate, empiric conclusion." 

"That's fair," Tony agreed, feeling relief wash over him finally. So long as Liberty was open to the possibility of Steve spending more time at their home, he knew things would turn out okay.

~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt:
> 
> 616/MCU: Tony is a single-dad (divorced, widowed, never married, idk) with a sporty daughter in highschool (any sport). Steve just happens to be the new coach of said sport, and the daughter's major crush giving them both a headache. How to sneak-around? How to tell the love-stuck teen? How are they found-out? I want self-sacrificing idiotic cuteness!!! The daughter's reaction should be like "Damn. I always fall for the gay ones! Damnit, dad!" Other scenario options (suggestions); a)Tony and Steve meet in one of the most cliched placed for rom-coms (author's choice), hook up, then part with the understanding that they're never meeting again--BUT, they do! OR b) they meet at a game, are interested, then Tony finds out who mystery "Mr. Darcy" is that his daughter is spewing about... ooops! As always bottom!Tony and top!Steve please.  
> ~  
> Beta read by [robin_tCJ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Robin_tCJ) (thank you dear!)   
> This isn't a hundred percent what the prompt asked for but I did my best. Hope you enjoyed!


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